Darnielle began the new millennium with The Coroner's Gambit for Absolutely Kosher before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later, Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining as prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. Next up was the Bible verse-inspired The Life of the World to Come, the group's sixth album for 4AD, in 2010. Switching to Merge Records in 2011, Darnielle released All Eternals Deck, which was recorded in four different studios in Brooklyn, Boston, North Carolina, and Florida with four different producers -- John Congleton, Scott Solter, Brandon Eggleston, and Morbid Angel guitarist and Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan -- helming various tracks. That year the band was also handpicked by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he was curating in Minehead, England, but they were ultimately unable to appear due to scheduling issues.
Going to Scotland
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
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The ground underneath us was wet and cold
We'd heard the owl thrashing about, trying desperately to get out
We stood outside and watched the night unfold
We watched the sun go down on Scotland
And I watched the moon come up over you
When a pack of dogs went silently past us, we knew we'd been given fair warning
And you threw all your luggage out onto the water
And I tore the shirt away from my back
The cold came on with a new found intensity and you pressed your warm body against me
And I loved you so much it was making me sick
We watched the sun go down on Scotland
We were glad that we'd left Oklahoma behind
I took your hips in my hands and I threw you down to the new found, rich brown, deep, wet ground
Had a vision of you burning on my mind
We watched the sun go down on Scotland
And I watched the moon come up over you
When a pack of dogs went silently past us, we knew we'd been given fair warning
But that was the only thing we knew
The Mountain Goats' song "Going to Scotland" paints a vivid picture of a dark and eerie night, where two lovers are trying to find shelter in unfamiliar territory. The lyrics reveal a sense of uncertainty and danger, as the couple is warned by a pack of dogs that seem to be lurking in the shadows. The opening lines describe a barn owl trapped in the rafters, a metaphor for the couple's own feelings of being trapped and powerless in an unfamiliar setting.
As the couple watches the sun go down on Scotland, they are confronted with the harsh reality of their situation. They are far away from home, and the night is closing in on them. The cold comes on with a newfound intensity, and they turn to each other for warmth and solace. The singer's love for his partner is so intense that it is making him sick, yet he still clings to her for comfort.
There is a sense of desperation and urgency in the lyrics, as the couple throws caution to the wind and embraces each other on the wet, cold ground. The image of the lover's hips in the singer's hands, thrown down onto the rich brown, deep, wet ground conveys a sense of primal passion and abandon. The song ends with the same image as it began - the couple watching the moon rise over a strange and dangerous landscape. The only thing they know for sure is that they are in this together, and that they will do whatever it takes to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a barn owl trapped in the rafters
We saw a barn owl stuck in the wooden beams of the roof
The ground underneath us was wet and cold
The soil beneath our feet was damp and chilly
We'd heard the owl thrashing about, trying desperately to get out
We heard the owl flapping its wings and struggling to escape, trying its best to free itself
We stood outside and watched the night unfold
We stayed outside and observed the darkness and everything that happened in it
And you threw all your luggage out onto the water
You threw all your bags and belongings into the sea
And I tore the shirt away from my back
I ripped off my own shirt from my own body
The cold came on with a new found intensity and you pressed your warm body against me
The coldness got even stronger and you hugged me tightly to keep me warm with your own warmth
And I loved you so much it was making me sick
I loved you so much that it was making me feel overwhelmed and unwell
We were glad that we'd left Oklahoma behind
We were happy that we had departed Oklahoma and moved to Scotland
I took your hips in my hands and I threw you down to the new found, rich brown, deep, wet ground
I held onto your waist and pushed you down onto the lush, moist earth
Had a vision of you burning on my mind
I had an image of you being on fire in my thoughts
Contributed by Miles B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.